It took a global pandemic and stay-at-home orders for 1.5 billion people worldwide, but something is finally occurring to us: The future we thought we expected may not be the one we get.
We know that things will change; how they’ll change is a mystery. To envision a future altered by coronavirus, Quartz asked dozens of experts for their best predictions on how the world will be different in five years.
Below is an answer from Bill McKibben, an author, educator, and activist. He is the founder of climate activist organization 350.org, the author of 17 books, and a former staff writer for the New Yorker.
I think the world’s major cities will be far more bikeable—and as a result there will be lots more people biking. It’s been remarkable to watch London, Paris, and many more putting up hundreds of miles of bike paths almost overnight. We obviously need good working public transit too, and making it a safe space is a top priority. But people have gotten some sense of how great cities could be absent cars—and maybe they won’t want to give that entirely up!
To read more New Normal answers, click here.